The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for flaring the end of a thermoplastic tube to form a flange thereon.
Flanged adapters for joining sections of plastic pipes have been proposed in the past. These adapters are fused onto plastic pipe ends and then the flanged pipe ends are connected together by bolting in conventional fashion. An example of a flanged adapter is seen in Canadian Pat. No. 1,112,413, issued to Phillips Petroleum Company on the 17th of Nov. 1981. The flange of this prior device however is a double flange and the fact that part of the flange is rolled back on itself produces an invisible interface which may hide ripples created when the material is rolled over. Such ripples would weaken the flange.
Adapters having single flare flanges have been manufactured, in the past, by machining plastic rod but this process is costly.
The present invention seeks to provide a flanged adapter which is both economical to manufacture and devoid of invisible interfaces.